Pieria
'Pieria'The name Pieria has been connected to Homeric "fat", "fertile land" in a metaphorical sense. See e.g. J.P. Mallory, D. Q. Adams, The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European world, Oxford University Press, 2006, pg. 261( ) is one of the prefectures of Greece. It is located in the southern part of Macedonia, in the Periphery of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Katerini. Pieria is the smallest prefecture within Macedonia. The name Pieria originates from the ancient tribe and the ancient country of Pieris. In Pieria, there are many sites of archeological interest, such as Dion, Pydna and Platamonas. Pieria is also home to Mt. Pierus, home to OrpheusOrpheus and Greek Religion (Mythos Books) by William Keith Guthrie and L. Alderlink, 1993), ISBN-10: 0691024995, page 62 and the MusesE.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2,Πιερίας—between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaic Gulf, the origiual home of the muses and birth-place of Orpheus., as well as the Pierian Spring. Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and throne of the ancient Greek gods, is located in the southern part of Pieria. Other ancient cities included Leibethra and Pimpleia or Pimplia. Geography The Pieria prefecture is bordered by Larissa by Thessaly to the south and west, Kozani to the west and Imathia to the north. Until the late-20th century, it surrounded the village of Elafos in which it was part of the Imatha prefecture. The Pierian Mountains lie to the west. The Thermian Gulf lies to the east. It also has a valley by the GR-13. Most of the population live within the Olympian Riviera. The lowest point is the Thermian Gulf and the highest point is Mount Olympus. It combines extensive plains, high mountains and sandy beaches. The region's amazing beauty gives it a great potential for further tourist development. Climate Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool winters. Severe winter weather is common in the central and western parts of Pieria, especially in the Pierian Mountains and on Mount Olympus. Municipalities History The region (Ancient Greek,"Πιερία") or Pieris(Ancient Greek,"Πιερίς") took its name from the Pieres (Ancient Greek,"Πίερες"), ThracianOrpheus and Greek Religion (Mythos Books) by William Keith Guthrie and L. Alderlink,1993,page 62: "... assigned, Pieria, was originally inhabited by a Thracian tribe, the Pieres, who according to Thucydides (ii. ..." tribe that was expelledArchaic Eretria: A Political and Social History from the Earliest Times to 490 BC by Keith G. Walker,2004,page 154: "... 498-54)12' had incorporated coastal Pieria into Macedonia and expelled the 'Pieres', who af- terwards took up their abode in areas at Mt.Pangaion..."by the Macedonians in the 8th century BCAn Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation,ISBN 0198140991,2005,page 865 from their original seats, and driven to the North beyond the Strymon river and Mount PangaeusArchaic Eretria: A Political and Social History from the Earliest Times to 490 BC by Keith G. Walker,2004,page 154: "... 498-54)12' had incorporated coastal Pieria into Macedonia and expelled the 'Pieres', who af- terwards took up their abode in areas at Mt.Pangaion...", where they formed a new settlement. Since the before the archaic period Pieria was incorporated in the Kingdom of Macedon (808 BC,see below) whereas it was the second province of the ancient kingdom.Then Cassander the Antipatrid dynasty (302 BC - 277 BC) the Antigonid dynasty (306 BC - 168 BC), part of the Roman Empire(Macedon was conquered by the Roman Republic in the Fourth Macedonian War,146 BC) and part of the Byzantine Empire. It was later invaded and became a part of the Ottoman Empire. During the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Pieria took up arms along with the rest of Greece, but their struggle failed and Pieria did not join the rest of Greece until the Balkan Wars in 1913. Until 1947, Pieria was part of the Thessaloniki Prefecture and at that time was the largest Greek prefecture, it was then a province. Pieria saw an economic boom in agriculture and business. During the Greco-Turkish War, it saw an influx of refugees from Asia Minor, now a part of Turkey, and several places were named after their former homelands including Nea Trapezounta from Trezibond (now Trabzon) and Nea Efesos from Ephesus (now Efes). Roads were being paved, Katerini saw electricity. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, Pieria was rebuilt and its population was emigrating. Electricity were introduced to the rest of the prefecture in the 1960s, television in the 1970s and the 1980s and also more pavement of roads. The GR-1 was under construction in the late-1960s and was opened to traffic in 1972 with two lanes, in the 1980s, it became two-laned in the northern part, in the 1990s, it became two laned as far as the prefectural boundary with Larissa in the early-2000s. On June 8, 2007, a low pressure weather system from Southern and Central Europe resulted in heavy rainfall that ravaged the prefecture and caused great damage in fruit and vegetable production. The worst hit area was Korinos. Transport *GR-1/E75, both the old and the new highways *GR-13 Persons According to various sources, Alexis Zorba (1867-1942), the person who inspired the Greek novelist Nikos Kazantzakis to write the famous novel Zorba the Greek, was born in the village of Katafigi, near Kolindros. His original name was Georgios Zorbas. *Patriarch Callinicus of Alexandria *Giorgakis Olympios Sporting teams *Pierikos - Greek Second Division (North Club) See also *Olympus Festival References External links *http://www.culture.gr/maps/macedon/pieria/pieria.html * *http://www.mpa.gr/specials/olympus/pieria.html *http://users.pie.sch.gr/amgr1/pieria_photos.htm Category:Pieria Category:Prefectures of Greece ar:بييريا bg:Пиерия (ном) ca:Pièria de Tràcia de:Pieria el:Νομός Πιερίας es:Pieria eo:Pierio fr:Piérie hr:Prefektura Pieria it:Pieria (prefettura) la:Pieria (nomus Graeciae) hu:Pjeria nl:Piëria ja:ピエリア県 no:Pieria nn:Piería pl:Pieria pt:Pieria ro:Prefectura Pieria ru:Пиерия sk:Pieria sr:Префектура Пијерија sh:Prefektura Pijerija sv:Pierien tr:Pieria uk:Пієрія ur:پیئارہ پریفیکچر war:Pieria zh:皮埃里亞州